'Occupy Raleigh' protesters being evicted from downtown camp
Like countless others in the 99 percent of the U.S. population they claim to represent, members of the "Occupy Raleigh" protest movement are being kicked out of their home.
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Businessman Rob Baumgart, who has leased a vacant lot to the protesters since November, gave them an eviction notice last week unless they obtain liability insurance coverage.
Protesters used the 2,500-square-foot lot near West and Edenton streets as a place to organize, sleep and eat while they picketed at the Capitol Building downtown. They used portable generators so they could cook and heat their tents, brought in portable toilets and set up a makeshift library.
Baumgart rented the site for $400 a month, but once his insurance company learned of the arrangement, they threatened to drop his coverage on the property.
The insurer demanded that the protesters get liability insurance, and Baumgart told them they had until the end of the month to get coverage or pack up and leave.
Authorities have made dozens of arrests at protests the group has held since October at the Capitol, Crabtree Valley Mall and other locations.
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